Among the young sumo wrestlers lifting weights in the ring, 10-year-old Kyuta Kumagai stands out.
At 85 kilograms (187 lb), Kyuta is twice the size of the other kids his age and is so dominant that he wrestles, and beats, boys 5 or six years older.
Last year, he was crowned the below-10 planet champion, beating out competitors from as far afield as the United Kingdom and Ukraine.
His instruction regime, devised by his father Taisuke, is relentless.
He trains six days a week, either at his regional sumo club or lifting weights. He also swims and practices track and field to develop up the flexibility and explosive quickness required for sumo wrestling.
Kyuta has been on the programme considering that his father entered him in a tournament whilst nevertheless in kindergarten.
“I didn’t teach him anything, he could do various things naturally,” mentioned Taisuke, a former amateur sumo.
“There is a talent for sumo and he has that talent. He won the tournament. I thought he may have something special.”
A shy boy of couple of words, Kyuta’s motivations are straightforward.
“It is fun to beat people older than me.”
“I’M BETTING EVERYTHING ON THIS”
When it became apparent the boy had talent, Taisuke moved the loved ones to the Fukugawa location of Tokyo that is well-known for creating sumo wrestlers. It has an abundance of clubs and Nominosukune Shrine, exactly where the God of Sumo is mentioned to reside, which means there is a lot of regional assistance for the Kumagais.
Father and son use a regional temple for intense 1-on-1 instruction. The sessions have a tendency to finish with the pair wrestling up and down the carpet in front of the most important shrine.
Taisuke pushes Kyuta so difficult that the youngster is generally left breathless and crying. But he believes it is the only way to get the ideal out of his son.
“I think he is managing to make time for himself and I think he has time to play with his friends,” explained Taisuke. “I don’t think it is too much pressure.”
The instruction is high-priced and demands a enormous commitment from the complete loved ones, which includes his mother Makiko.
“I don’t do gambling (at a casino). Instead, I’m betting everything on this,” Taisuke mentioned.
4,000 Each day CALORIES
Key to any sumo’s achievement is their diet program.
On an typical day, Kyuta will consume 2,700 to 4,000 calories, which includes more than a litre of milk and copious amounts of protein. Steak is his favourite.
Over a bowl of chanko nabe, a speciality sumo broth, Taisuke mentioned Kyuta desires to place on a different 20 kg by the time he enters middle college in two years.
If he does that, the hope is he will be taken in by a higher-profile sumo steady and Taisuke mentioned there has currently been interest.
His present coach, former experienced wrestler Shinichi Taira, thinks Kyuta has what it requires.
“At the moment, he has great talent,” mentioned Taira.
Kyuta desires to attain the level of ‘yokozuna’ – the highest ranking in the sport.
But he admits the regime can be brutal.
“Sumo training is something you don’t describe with words like ‘enjoy’,” Kyuta mentioned.
“When it became tough… I have thought about (quitting) sometimes.”
For now although, the grind towards the top rated continues, for each father and son.
(This story has not been edited by The Spuzz employees and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)